Happy Kids Development Center: Growing Support for Families

Seventeen years ago, Rhonda Gebbia founded Happy Kids Development Center, a childcare facility in Wilmington, North Carolina. We spoke to her husband Joey, who handles the finances, about their decision to use First Bank for their cash management solutions.

What are the major cash management challenges your business faces?

We don’t see major spikes or dips in our income – we typically know exactly what to expect every week. Our challenges are to ensure payments come in on time, managing our budget on a fixed income, and making sure our employees get paid.

How has First Bank helped you meet these cash management needs?

First Bank offers us the underlying banking support so that parents can make their payments on time. We use our First Bank checking account to pay bills and receive payments every week. When a check from a parent comes in, we know it will be properly processed. We have a debit card attached to the checking account that we use to make purchases.

First Bank also helps us do large renovation projects even though we’re on a pretty fixed income. Every year around Christmas, we renovate one of our rooms. First Bank is always able to offer us a line of credit so that we can accomplish the project without disrupting our cash flow.

When it comes to employee payments, First Bank set us up with direct deposit. The process was really easy – I provided the employee names and banking information, and First Bank set everything up for me. Then, they walked me through how to make my first payment. Our previous bank was not as helpful.

Speaking of your previous bank, why did you decide to come to First Bank?

We became First Bank customers about a year ago after it became clear that our previous bank wasn’t meeting our needs. As soon as I walked into First Bank, I got a warm greeting and great personal service from a woman named Jenna. The word “no” has not been in their vocabulary. They treat us like they appreciate the business my wife has built over the last seventeen years.

Any final thoughts?

Any time I hear someone complaining about their bank, I tell them: “Go see First Bank.”